


Ten Things

by JusttMee123



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Character Study, Ten Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23586481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JusttMee123/pseuds/JusttMee123
Summary: A "Ten Things No One Knew About..." series that literally no one asked for, but you're getting anyway. Will feature all of our favorite characters, and all their deepest, darkest secrets.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	1. Carlton Lassiter

**Author's Note:**

> I keep telling myself that I have things I need to be doing other than writing things like this. Unfortunately it seems like my brain isn't listening, so in addition to writing this series, I'm also in the process of rewriting an old story. Oh well.
> 
> This series will feature many characters, but up first is: Lassiter!

1\. Carlton Lassiter hated his eyes when he was younger. Tons of people always complimented them. They called them "gorgeous" or "stunning" even though he thought they should have used other words. Words like "dashing" or "striking". But it didn't matter anyway, because he hated his eyes. Whenever he looked at himself in the mirror, all he saw was his father's eyes. It wasn't until Lily was born with the same eyes that he learned to appreciate them.

2\. He thought his mom was crazy for having another baby, especially with the kind of man his father was. It wasn't even like the baby had been planned, or even wanted. And watching his mom go through that pregnancy virtually alone made him hate his father and the baby even more. It wasn't until Lauren was born and his mom forced him to hold her that he kind of understood. And from that day on, he did his best to make sure Lauren never got hurt.

3\. His father only hit Lauren once, when she was three. After making sure Lauren was alright, he wrestled his father from the room and pulled a knife on him. He told him if he ever touched her again, he would murder him and gladly go to jail for it. His father walked out the next morning and they never saw him again. He has no idea if Lauren remembers the incident. He doesn't want to ask her, and she's never brought it up. He's not sure if he's more scared of her remembering it, or not remembering it.

4\. He was determined to hate O'Hara when they were first assigned to each other as partners. It was more on principle than anything else. Lucinda had been his partner for nearly two years, and everyone knew partner changes were a touchy subject amongst cops. The fact that Lucinda was the best partner he'd had at that point didn't help the matter, nor did O'Hara's age and inexperience. He did his best to disguise his tantrum as anything but a tantrum, and, of course, lost. It occurred to him over the years to thank Chief Vick for not giving in to him.

5\. When he discovered O'Hara and Spencer were dating, he didn't mean it when he told her he wanted a new partner. He wanted to take it back as soon as the words were out of his mouth. The look on her face when he said it still filled him with shame. He knew she was the best partner he'd ever had, and the best one he'd ever have again. He knew his words were coming from a place of hurt. But after he said them, he knew it would be more embarrassing to back down and have to listen to her hold it over his head forever, so he kept up the act. Thankfully Chief Vick (once again) knew better.

6\. He likes Althea better than he likes his mother. Althea never allowed his father to beat him up in her place.

7\. O'Hara only called him her best friend once. He'd never had a best friend, ever, in his whole life. He had pulled a face and told her to keep her ooey-gooey female mushiness to herself. But what he'd really wanted to say was that Juliet was his best friend, too.

8\. Contrary to what he let people believe, the most terrified he'd ever been in his life wasn't seeing Juliet tied to a chair at the top of the clock tower, literal seconds away from falling to her death. The most terrified he'd been was after they had managed to pull her back onto the rooftop, when she hadn't said anything for hours. Normally he could never get her to shut up. Her silence was unnerving. He could only imagine what it had been like, staring down at the pavement below and waiting helplessly for someone to save her. When he let her break down crying in his arms, it was as much for her as it was for him. He needed reassurance that she was still alive, too.

9\. He actually doesn't mind Spencer so much. In fact, he's often amused by him. And the fact that he made O'Hara happy was something he could live with. But he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he admitted that, especially given his reputation. So, he never said it out loud. Plus, he does genuinely enjoy the look on Spencer's face when he threatens him with bodily harm.

10\. He has a box full of things Lily has given to him over the years. Things like rocks, coins, old tissues even. He keeps the box in his desk drawer, and sometimes when there's a slow day he takes it out and looks at all of the items. He doesn't know what he plans on doing with it all, but he hangs on to every single thing anyway.


	2. Shawn Spencer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is our favorite pineapple-loving, fake psychic: Shawn!

1\. For a while when he was little, he genuinely thought he had superpowers. How else could anyone explain why he could remember the most insignificant details? Or how he could memorize things with such ease? His own parents thought he knew how to read when he was just 3 years old, because they'd caught him sitting with different books, reciting them aloud. In truth he'd just memorized the entire thing after one of them read it to him, and memorized when to turn the pages, too. The whole superpower thing added up in his brain. Until he was 6 and his dad explained what a photographic memory was.

2\. He doesn't remember where his love for pineapple came from. Truthfully, he doesn't even remember eating it for the first time. It's just something that's always been established, like his friendship with Gus. He's never questioned it.

3\. Sometimes he wishes he could bring Serious Shawn out more often. He actually kind of enjoys being serious, especially with the people he's closest to. But he's built up this reputation for being a class clown who takes nothing seriously. If he all of a sudden started being serious all the time people would get suspicious and probably think he was dying or something.

4\. He hates his memory. While it's true there are many times it's come in handy, there are also so many things he'd love to forget. Like pretty much everything he learned in high school. Or the way his dad used to look at him when he didn't quite pass one of his challenges. Or the sound of the front door closing behind his mother as she moved out.

5\. He used to enjoy the hat game, when it had just been a game. He loved impressing his dad and other people around them. Sometimes he had even looked forward to it. It was only when the game turned into training, and that training led to other exercises, that he learned to hate it.

6\. He plans on doing the hat game with any kids he has. But he's going to keep it as a game. He's dreading what his dad will say when he finds out.

7\. When Juliet broke up with him, he genuinely didn't know how he was going to get through it. The first week was tough, when she wouldn't even look at him. The second week was worse, when she would look at him with such contempt in her eyes. He'd never given anyone enough of himself to break, which only made her rejection hurt that much more. He constantly felt like he was being sucker punched in the gut. He doesn't fully know how he made it through that time period. All he knew was that Juliet was his home.

8\. When he was getting ready to propose to Juliet for real, he asked Gus for his blessing as well. He knew that it would change a lot for them, and Gus' opinion was one that mattered more to him than most. If Gus had said no, he wasn't okay with them getting married, he wouldn't have proposed to Juliet at all. No questions asked.

9\. He wanted to propose to Juliet with a pug instead of a ring. Gus talked him out of it at the last minute. He's regretted it every day since.

10\. Everyone thinks he makes up silly nicknames for Gus on the spot. In truth, he has a notebook full of nicknames, all thought of and planned out way ahead of time. It is his best kept secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if he seems a little out of character. I'm better at writing 'Serious Shawn' than I am 'Not Serious Shawn'.


	3. Burton Guster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next is: Gus! (Because even in character studies you can't separate Shawn and Gus. It's illegal.)

1\. For a brief period of time in middle school, he thought about asking his parents to officially change his first name to Gus. He was going to ask until he realized that would make his name Gus Guster.

2\. He hated Shawn for a little while during college. They had been best friends since before either of them could remember. They had done everything together. And then Shawn left without even leaving a goodbye note for him. It was a betrayal like no other. Every so often he would get a post card from him, updating him on where he was. Gus shredded a few of them during the time period when he was feeling particularly spiteful.

3\. Sometimes he still thinks about Mira. Logically he knows he only married her because he was drunk and annoyed with Shawn still. Maybe a tiny part of him wanted to do it so when Shawn came back (because if there's one thing he knows about his best friend, it's that he always comes back) he'd be able to show off how well he was doing. A college degree, a career, a wife on his arm, maybe a few mini Gusters running around. He wonders what his life would have been like if they'd stayed married. He can't really imagine it.

4\. When they were little, maybe 4 and 6, he and Joy decided to compete to see who could pee farther. They spent an inordinate amount of time making sure neither of them had a toe even a fraction of an inch further than the other before the competition actually started. He was so sure he was going to win, given that he was a boy and she was a girl, and he was excited because Shawn never let him win at anything. But then he miscalculated and peed on himself, and Joy won the competition. He bought her silence at the price of his fruit snacks for the rest of the year.

5\. Shawn doesn't think he knows about the time he was beaten bloody by a pair of bullies who stole Gus' comic book collection from his backpack. He told Gus that he was beaten up by Trish Connors. And then the next day his comic books showed up in his mailbox with a note, supposedly from the bullies but written in suspiciously familiar handwriting, saying that his comic books were too lame for the bullies to keep. Gus knows the truth of what happened, because he's not stupid. And he's never forgotten it.

6\. In high school he used to crawl out his window at night. It was nice to just spend time by himself and stare up at the stars. It definitely didn't count as sneaking out, since he never left his parents' property. Hell, he never even left the roof. But it was probably the most rebellious thing he'd ever chosen to do, bar quitting his job on a whim and driving up to San Francisco to be with his best friend.

7\. During the first case they ever worked, Gus told the thrift store manager that he'd been to jail in Monopoly once. That was a lie. He's never been to jail in Monopoly, ever, and he plans on keeping it that way.

8\. He always thought Shawn was exaggerating how tough Henry was on him. Sure, he knew Henry was a bit unconventional, and maybe a little strict. He definitely didn't want Henry Spencer has his father, especially not after the time he made the two of them watch while he ate ice cream in front of them that one time with the broken rocket. But he always thought Shawn was embellishing. Until their senior year when he happened to be over at Shawn's house when he and Henry got into an argument. He sat there silently and listened to Henry blame Shawn for his failed marriage. He saw the look on Shawn's face. Though he's managed to gain back some grudging respect for his friend's father over the years, he doesn't think he can ever forgive Henry for that comment.

9\. The thing he's most proud of doing is moving up to San Francisco. Years ago, he could have only dreamt of being able to be that spontaneous. He never would have taken control of his own life like that. As much as Shawn drives him nuts sometimes, he's grateful for how much his friend has forced him to grow.

10\. If anyone ever asked him he would deny it vehemently, even on pain of death, but he's jealous of Shawn's hair.


	4. Juliet O'Hara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think these next two chapters are the ones I'm proudest of. So without further ado, up next is our (my) favorite badass: Juliet!

1\. When she was 7, Juliet O'Hara told her mom she wanted to be a professional musician. Her mom, though confused, was very supportive and did everything she could to encourage her. She signed her up for piano lessons and patiently listened to every wrong note. When Juliet decided she wanted to put on a recital for her family, she herded her three brothers in the living room and made them sit and listen to her play the same six songs they'd heard her play a million times. She reminded Juliet to practice every day and never lost her temper. It only lasted for a few months, though. Juliet gave up on being a musician when she got a solo in the church's children's choir and immediately passed out from fright.

2\. When she was 9, she learned just how much power she had over her brothers. Louis and Oliver had been pretending to be pro wrestlers, and when she demanded to be included, they gave in for once. It was fun at first, until Oliver leapt off his bed and landed heavily on her arm. Her screams had summoned their mother, but not before Louis and Oliver promised her everything under the sun in exchange for Juliet not telling Mom that they had broken her arm. She didn't acknowledge them the entire drive to the hospital. But when the doctor asked her what had happened, she told him she was the one who jumped from the bed. It was the only outright lie she ever told her mother. For years afterward, Louis and Oliver did whatever she wanted them to do.

3\. She still looks up to Ewan, even though he disappeared from police custody. She spent her whole childhood trying to be just like him, and that just doesn't go away overnight. He was the one who taught her perseverance and to find her own strength. Having to arrest him, her hero, was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do.

4\. She thought about asking Shawn how he beat the polygraph machine many times over the years. Once upon a time she wouldn't have believed it was possible. And maybe she still wouldn't, if she hadn't seen it for her own eyes. Of course, looking back, she probably should have known something was up. Shawn had looked at both Gus and his dad for help. He hadn't answered for the longest time. Gus switched out his SBPD visitor's badge for his pharmaceutical rep ID. But in the end the polygraph machine showed no signs that he was deceiving them. She still has no idea how he did it. And ultimately, she decided it was probably something she didn't want to know.

5\. She called Lloyd "dad" once. She'd been 19 years old and had snuck just a bit too much wine from her mom's cabinet. Lloyd knew right away. He fed her crackers and made her walk around the block with him a few times before her mom got home from work. He never made a big deal about it, for which she was grateful. But she kind of wished that he was really her dad from birth.

6\. She saw right through Lassiter when he made fun of her for calling him her best friend. He tried to put on the whole tough guy with a rough exterior act and used his scary voice, but she had been immune to all of that for years at that point. He didn't have to say it back. She knew it anyway.

7\. When she and Shawn fight, both Henry and Gus take her side. She wishes they wouldn't. For one thing, she and Shawn are both adults and are fully capable of handling any disagreements that come up in a mature fashion. And for another, it leaves Shawn with no one in his corner to back him up. He's never once said anything about it, but she imagines it can get lonely.

8\. For a long time, she wasn't sure if she'd say yes if Shawn proposed to her. She loved him, of course, maybe more than she had loved anyone ever. But she knew from watching her parents that marriage was about more than just love. She knew that before she even entertained the thought of getting married to anyone, she would need to see that person at their worst. She wanted to see them when they were sick as a dog, or the angriest they'd ever been, or having serious money issues, or so distressed they couldn't function. She needed to know that they could be vulnerable with her and trust her to not break them in that fragile state. And Shawn was many things, but willing to be vulnerable was not one of them. Or at least he wasn't, until she found out about his biggest lie.

9\. She hates it when Frank calls her Jewel. She tolerated being called "Julie" by the rest of her family, mostly because she had been too young to protest when the nickname was given to her. She'd hated "Jules" at first, too, simply because it sounded so similar to Jewel. However, when she asked Shawn to cut it out, he did what Shawn does best (which is whatever the hell Shawn wants) and somewhere along the way she just gave up. Eventually she learned to love being called Jules. But when Frank calls her Jewel, she always wonders if it's just because he sees a pretty exterior, something to be coveted, rather than all the details and complexities inside.

10\. She still kind of remembers how to play Old MacDonald on piano. It's silly and dumb, but it's more than Shawn knows, so she plans on rubbing it in his face for as long as she can.


	5. Henry Spencer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my favorite one of all of the ones I've written. Therefore it seemed only right to save it for last. So, last but certainly not least is: Henry!

1\. He was never more terrified than when he and Maddie got pregnant. They had been dating for a few years, but hadn't discussed marriage at that point, let alone kids. He was barely out of childhood himself. He had no idea what it took to be a parent. He didn't think either of them were ready. And he really didn't want to screw his kid up.

2\. When Maddie was pregnant, he really hoped it was a girl. He told everyone he'd be happy either way as long as it was healthy, but only because that's what you're supposed to do. He imagined spoiling his daughter immensely, being wrapped around her tiny finger, threatening her prom date, giving her away at her wedding. He tried hard not to show his disappointment when Shawn turned out to be a boy. He didn't love his son any less than he would have loved his daughter, but he'd had to let go of the entire life he'd planned out.

3\. He has an irrational fear of killing spiders. He has no problem with the spiders themselves, but the act of having to kill one terrifies him. It probably stems from when he was a kid, specifically from the time he accidentally put his hand on a somewhat large spider. In addition to biting him, which sucked in and of itself, he could feel it scuttling around under his hand, desperate to escape. Remembering the feeling of it still made his hair stand on end. Thankfully Maddie was a pacifist who believed in rescuing any insects found inside the house and releasing them outside.

4\. When he joined the police force, he set aside money and made plans for his funeral. He still has all the paperwork stored in his lockbox under his bed, even though he's retired now. Obviously, he never wanted to die on the job, but he did want to make sure his family would be okay in case it happened. He wouldn't have been about to bear it if he died and left his family with that kind of financial burden.

5\. The night he arrested Shawn for grand theft auto and had to leave his son sitting in a holding cell for the night, he went home to an empty house and cried. He asked whatever God there was for clarity and guidance. He asked how he his life had gotten to that point. He asked how to fix things. He never got an answer.

6\. He always knew Shawn was a good man. He never truly had any doubts. Concerns, yes, and he suspected he always would, but never doubts, But when Juliet told him how, when he had been shot by Jerry Carp, Shawn first refused to leave his side and then refused to stop investigating, he knew for sure that Shawn was a better man than him. He knew there was nothing on the Earth that would stop his son from protecting the people he loved. He'd never been prouder of his son.

7\. The first time he shot a gun, he cried. It was on a hunting trip with his dad, when he was just 10. His dad had handed him a rifle and was instructing him on how to use it. They hadn't even been shooting at anything. But when he pulled the trigger, he burst into tears. Part of it was from pain, as it felt like his shoulder had been dislocated from the recoil. But he just also didn't want to shoot anything that was innocent. He and his dad only went on fishing trips after that.

8\. He regrets being so tough on Shawn. He hadn't meant to push him too hard. He'd wanted to push just hard enough. He knew his son was extremely bright, probably bright enough to get into that fancy Meitner school, or whatever it was called. The problem was that Shawn never applied himself and was content with simply coasting through life. He wanted to teach his son focus and discipline. He wanted to make sure his son had something to fall back on, just in case everything else went wrong. He never meant to alienate him.

9\. For a while he let Shawn win their Christmas tradition/challenge. It was in the hopes that it could help start repairing their relationship. But then Shawn kept winning even when he was trying his hardest to throw him off. It's maddening, and he's thinking of giving up completely within the next few years.

10\. When Shawn was born, his first thought wasn't something like "That's my son," and "He's so tiny." He never told anyone what he thought when they handed him that baby swaddled in blankets, because he knew they would surely hit him. His first thought when he saw Shawn was, "He looks like a potato."


End file.
